Wynne's Advice
by Marine Brother Shran
Summary: Wynne approaches the young Cousland Warden with her thoughts and opinions of the budding relationship between the Warden and Leliana. And like all young men and women before, they don't take the advice well. F!Cous/Leli


**Wynne's Advice**

**I don't know what to make of this. Just something I randomly came up with as I was playing DAO and had this conversation with Wynne. I may expand on this a bit more, I may not; I may edit this, I may not. But enjoy it as is for the interaction between Warden and Wynne, and the slight bit of fem!Cousland/Leliana.**

Another night, another day gone, another day being one of the two last Grey Wardens in all of Fereldan. For the young Marianne Cousland, this was just another day in the life that had been forced upon her. She sighed languidly before splashing water across her face.

She stared down at the pond before her, at her reflection, gently tracing along the white tattoo she had along the right side of her face. Thought most of the features were hidden behind a veil of blonde hair, she sometimes liked to brush it aside and let it be seen by all, if only within the confines of camp. It would otherwise be far too obvious, especially closer to Highever where they all knew of the tattoo she sported, despite her mother's protests against the idea.

Drawing the small knife she always kept in her boot, she reached back, feeling along the back of her head as she gently started to cut away her hair. It was getting a bit long. She'd never been fond of long hair; another argument her mother had lost time and time again. But Leliana seemed to like how she wore her hair: short, with her fringes swept to either side of her face. Looking over her reflection in the water, she smiled lightly to herself, satisfied of the trim.

Sheathing the blade, she stood up preparing to head back towards the camp when she noticed Wynne was approaching her.

"Evening Wynne," the young noble woman greeted casually.

"Good evening, my lady," Wynne corrected teasingly.

Marianne couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Please Wynne we're not even in court."

"Perhaps...when you start speaking like your age," the wizened mage replied back with an amused grin touching her lips.

The warden scoffed at the jab. Muttering under her breath, she turned to leave.

"You're quite taken with each other, aren't you?" Wynne suddenly asked, drawing the Cousland back.

Marianne blushed as Wynne looked at her, with a raised brow, a teasing smirk, and arms crossed. "You...You know about Leliana and me?" she mumbled out, looking anywhere but at the woman in front of her. Her blush intensified when she realized that it was the second time this evening that she talked about her budding relationship with the bard.

"I've seen the way she looks at you, the familiarity with which you speak, how she always finds a way to place herself next to you." Wynne's warm smile put the young girl at ease, enough that she was able to look back at her, albeit it shyly.

"I...I like being with Leliana," she meekly replied back. Hands clasped behind her, she began to fiddle with a loose rock she found on the ground.

Wynne nodded, and then adopted a more serious stance. "I've noticed your blossoming relationship, and I wanted to ask you where you thought it was going."

"Excuse me?"

"Leliana is a remarkable girl, sincere and guileless, and she has opened her heart to you. I wouldn't not like to see her hurt."

Marianne immediately calmed down again. It was just Wynne expressing her concern of how they were going about their relationship. A harmless, but also heart-warming gesture. It was nice to know that she cared about their wellbeing. She remembered being told once that relationships like these took time, and special care to allow it to grow and develop. And they were doing just that.

"We're just taking it one day at a time," she stated, a bit more confidently.

What the mage said, however, was the last thing she expected. "You are a Grey Warden," Wynne began. Marianne felt her heart sink at the mention of those words. "You have responsibilities which supersede your personal desires."

"You're...you're joking, right?" the former Cousland heir stuttered, taken absolutely aback by Wynne's statement. Eyes widen in shock, she took an involuntary step back when she realized how serious the elder woman was. "I'm a human being with emotions, not just a Grey Warden," she asserted.

But Wynne would not be deterred. "Yes, but love is ultimately selfish. It demands that one be devoted to a single person, who may fully occupy one's mind and heart, to the exclusion of all else." Though calm and gentle was her voice, her stance was clear. She did not think that this relationship was a good idea.

"A Grey Warden _cannot_ afford to be selfish. You may be forced to make a choice between saving your love and saving everyone else, and then what would you do?" She hated to do this, but she felt she needed to do this.

"What am I supposed to do?" Marianne shuddered, restraining from suddenly snapping. "Just tell Leliana to go away? To end what we have?"

"You may have to," she flatly told the Warden. "To save one or both of you unnecessary anguish later on."

"What do you know of love?" she screamed, not even caring that she was seen or heard by everyone else. "You've never left the Circle."

Despite staring down the younger girl's misplaced anger, Wynne never wavered, nor did she rise up against her challenge. She'd seen and dealt with people like her for many years. These words weren't what they wanted to hear, but it had to be said. She had to make it known, even if they don't want to know.

"I know more about love's enchantment and its perils than I care to tell," she sadly replied. "But perhaps this is one lesson that cannot be taught."

Wynne glanced over to see Leliana quickly approaching. She looked back at the Warden who was visibly seething at her. She noted her clenched fists, and how she looked ready to strike. She said all she could. She only hoped that the Warden would do the right thing.

"I have given my advice. Do with it what you will." She bad Marianne good night, and walked away, offering the young bard a greeting as they passed, and headed straight for her tent, while ignoring the curious looks she was receiving from the mabari and Alistair.

Leliana slowly approached her love, moving to stand in front of her before she slowly reached out and gently touched her shoulder. "Hey...you alright?" she asked. But Marianne didn't seem to hear her. Instead she merely stared ahead, where she had originally been glaring at Wynne. The bard wondered what Wynne said to have angered Marianne, but she pushed it aside for now. She'd find out later. With her other hand, she lightly grasped the blonde's chin, and slowly turned to face.

She watched as recognition formed behind those emerald eyes of hers. Leliana watched as the recognition suddenly shifted to anguish as tears began to form.

Before she even realized it, she nearly lost her footing as she stumbled from Marianne hugging her, as if clinging to a lifeline while burying her face in her neck. Leliana felt something wet against her neck as she felt the Warden mumbling incoherently into the hollow of her throat. She was dumbstruck, and unsure of what happened to have caused such a reaction. Instead, she brought her arms around her Warden's shoulders, and embraced her as she gently rocked Marianne back and forth.


End file.
